Through The Looking Glass
by itsnotaboutlove
Summary: She never boards the shuttle and stays behind. Spin-off from Heartlines Rose(OFC)/Pike
1. Chapter 1

Its days after the Narada incident, which destroys an entire planet and murdering almost six billion lives and the same attempt on Earth, when Rose finally wakes from a fever induced state. The strain of mono that she'd caught almost two weeks previously, progressed into something wicked that felt like death was near. When she finally comes to, Leonard is standing over her bedside with a PADD in one hand and bloodshot eyes.

"How do you feel?" is the first thing out of his mouth, as he waves a tricoder over her. "Fever has broken, which is good."

She's too tired to even respond or protest, as blood is drawn and a nurse is called into take her to the showers. Four hours later, she's given a clean bill of health and transported back to her empty dorm room, with orders that she is to remain there for the next forty-eight hours until further notice.

But obviously she breaks that rule, after catching up on almost three weeks worth of news. She reads about the attack on the federation ships and how Vulcan was destroyed in the black, killing so many and putting a species in the negative. She then reads about the _Enterprise, _Chris's ship and how it managed to stop a very pissed off Romulan from doing to Earth what it did to Vulcan.

There are more blurbs and reports that contradict one another, and she gives up and hacks into the Starfleet network and finds the truth. Captain Christopher Pike, now Admiral, suffered life threatening injuries after a negotiation went wrong; he became a hostage and the newly declared _Captain _Jim Kirk and Commander Spock, manage to rescue him in a life daring rescue attempt. Forgetting Leonard's orders, Rose gets out of bed and shoves her feet into her boots and runs.

….

She skips the shuttle and stays behind, opting to catch up on her studies and start out slowly; to which Admiral Barnett signs off on, because technically she's still recovering from being out for three weeks in a biobed at Starfleet General. Jim floods her Comm with questions on why she didn't come, while McCoy wishes her the best and to keep in touch.

Chris is annoyed at first, because he wanted her to go. But after taking one look at him, frail and confined to a wheelchair, she couldn't. After taking care of her after the loss of their child, she couldn't go off and leave him to fend for himself.

"I'm staying," she snapped, after the last of the shuttles took off for the _Enterprise. _"I will not leave you here alone, Chris. After everything you've done for me?"

He sulks because he simply didn't get his way, along with the fact that his ship is now in control of a reckless cadet.

"Keep sulking, Chris," she shook her head, as she sorted through all the get well flowers and bottles of alien liquors that were sent to his new quarters. "You look like you've been sucking lemons for years."

He apologizes and tells her that he appreciates her want to help, but he can't help but question her critically as to why she stayed. Five years on a wonderful ship, with so many opportunities to move up in Starfleet; all thrown away to stay Earth bound to play nursemaid to a crippled old man.

"You're not just any crippled old man," she tells him as she helps him into bed, after a long morning of physical therapy. "You're _my _crippled old man."

Rose silences his protests with a kiss and climbs into bed next to him. "Now be quiet and let me cuddle my crippled old man," she whispers, snuggled against his side.

…

Six months go by and things between them start to fracture. Arguments blow up after long hours of work and therapy; she's trying to help after being on her feet for fourteen hours a day, while he wants to be left alone after being on his feet for fourteen seconds.

They argue about everything and anything- his health and her stupidity for throwing away her career. Some nights they argue over what to eat for dinner or which holo-vid they should watch, which sends Rose out of the apartment and down the block to the bar for an hour or two.

Jim still floods her Comm, asking if she's changed her mind and if she's ready to join them.

_Rosie, we'll be so close that you could just take a shuttle onto the Sand-Sarath base and beam right onto the Enterprise! Bones could use an extra set of hands, since he claims that everyone on this ship is as dumb as a box of nails. Please? We miss you, Rose. I miss you! _

Each message goes without a response, because she simply cannot tell him that she's in a relationship with the man he calls a father-figure. Leonard once told her, after a night of drinking, that Jim fancied her. "Says you're gorgeous and that he would settle down with you," he slurred over what was probably his eighth beer. "You two would be a good couple now that I think of it; if anyone but me can get him to calm the fuck down, it's you!"

She loves Jim. But not in the way that he loves her. Her heart was already captured, though now it's taken quite the beating over the last six months. A life with Jim would've been fun; exploring space and creating havoc for Leonard to curse about. But she made her choice a long time ago and again the day he left, and she couldn't go back and change it.

….

A year after the Narada, Chris finally takes more than six steps and walks across the room and up to Rose. She's only arrived to pick him up, when the door opens and he comes up to her; shaky but without the assistance of a walker or a cane. It sends her into tears, as he smiles at her, pulling her into a hug.

"Hi," she manages, as he pulls back to look at her. "You.. you can walk."

"I can walk," he confirms, smiling at her. "Still need to use a cane, but I can walk."

Over time, they've managed to work through the stress and rekindle what they'd left of on. The sex, while it's not as explosive as before, is still perfect. As time went on, Chris slowly came back to her as the man who swept her off her feet at every given chance, sending her flowers at work and staying up to listen to her whine about work.

By the middle of the summer, they decide to get married. They do it down at an old church, even though neither are religious, and quietly exchange vows. She goes from Rose Harrington-Conrad to Rose Pike, wife of Admiral Christopher Pike, in less than twenty minutes. They keep it quiet for the next three months, until a surprise visit by Richard Barnett spills the beans.

"You cannot punish her for this, Rich," Chris begged, as the older man sat in total shock and disbelief. "I didn't force any of this on her and neither did she. We both fell in love and this is it, Rich. She's my wife and that's how it's going to stay."

Rich goes on about how it'll be a controversy- how the Commandant of Cadets was screwing a Cadet for x-amount of years, and now shacking up with said Cadet. How it could ruin his image and name, and how the press would be up their asses for a long time. The potential threat it held against the Academy and how all the faculty would have to be watched closely now.

"Do you really think our marriage is going to be breaking news?" Rose laughed. "All everyone really cares about is the _Enterprise _and what Starfleet is doing to protect it and all other ships from another attack. No one, besides our close friends and Chris's co-workers, are really going to care that we got married, sir."

He leaves their apartment a bit miffed, but neither can find it within them to care. They're married and alive; nothing coming between them to tear them apart again.

…

Three years go by and it feels like ten, as life went on for them. Their work was steady; Rose working with Boyce as his PA, while Chris settled alien disputes and watched over Jim like a hawk. They never told Jim about the marriage, knowing how he would react. Chris knew his feelings towards Rose and considering the lack of communication between them; it wasn't his place to tell Jim.

The only ones that knew were Leonard, Spock and Nyota; Leonard because he'd saved both their lives after returning to Earth, Spock because it was his job to erase any news report of their marriage and Nyota because she was dating Spock and.

In three years, they moved from an apartment to a big house in the suburbs; creating whispers that Chris was closer to retirement than he let on. In the summer, just after their third anniversary, they become parents to a little boy- Joshua Robert Pike; a mirror image of his father, save for the red locks that cover his tiny head. He's the result of a very late honeymoon to the Italian countryside, to a villa nestled high up in the fields of wildflowers and peace.

"Mummy is going to give you a bath and then when Daddy gets home, he'll feed you this yucky jar of peas," Rose babbles, as she carries the three month old around the house. "Tomorrow we'll see Grandma and we'll all go to the park!"

Since his arrival, Joshua became the sole fixture of their lives. Work was more of a chore these days, as they woke up early to feed him and went to be late after watching him fall asleep. Chris was tried of dealing with the bullshit that came with a desk job; the paperwork, the meetings both on Earth and off, and having to worry about potential outbreaks of war. Instead, he fantasied about being home and playing with the baby, sitting around the house in sweats and not in a stiff uniform that made him look older.

"If you want to retire, then retire!" Rose said one night, as he fed Joshua. "You've been with Starfleet for almost thirty-five years, darling. If you feel that it's time to move on, then move on."

"It's not that easy," he sighed, wiping the remains of carrots and squash from Joshua's chin. "I could do five more years and make it an even forty and maybe they'll give me a big pension! We could sell the house and move out of San Francisco.. maybe buy that villa and raise our kids in the country."

Rose can help but laugh at his daydreams, because she knows it won't happen for a long time. But she secretly enjoys it when he says "children" instead of "child", because being the mother of Christopher Pike's children is something that doesn't sound bad at all. The villa could wait, for it would always be there.


	2. Chapter 2

…

It's year five of the _Enterprise's _mission, which means soon Jim and the others would be back. They'd managed to go four years without telling the young Captain about their marriage, though Jim knows that Chris is married because he saw the silver band on his hand during a vid-chat. Jim, being Jim, made a comment about how relieved he was that he was finally getting laid after all this time.

"_It's good to know that you haven't lost all your charm, old man." _

He doesn't know about Joshua, because Chris never told him and for all they knew, Jim probably pictured Chris's wife to be just as old as him. At a year old, Joshua is a terror now that he can walk. Chris claims that all the months of physical therapy were shit compared to chasing a toddler down the hall, sending a furious message to Boyce.

There are nights of endless discussions about having another baby, to which both of them really want. But baby talk is put aside when Chris is called for a meeting, to which Jim and Spock are due to attend, off on a star base deep in space. It annoys her, because they were due for some quiet time together with the baby. But he promises that it'll only be a few days and that they'd still go on their vacation.

"When I get back, we are getting right to work on that baby," Chris warns, as she drops him off at the shuttle dock. "I mean it, Rose. Joshua is going to Grandma's and I'm keeping you in bed for a week. Hell, I'll even whisk you off planet if I have to."

Instead, it takes more than a few days and Chris is gone for six weeks. Shortly after the meeting, a distress call comes in about the discovery of humans and aliens held as slaves on a planet. It's severe and almost damaging to Starfleet, for they claim to have had no knowledge of the planet and what happened on the surface. After a day of silence, Chris finally calls her and tells her what he's seen.

"So many children, Rose. They're so young and so.. emaciated," he shook his head. "We've lost so many since beaming them aboard and the things we've learned from the women…"

Rose tells him to get some rest and try to push through it, though it's better said than done. She later gets messages and a call from Leonard, who tells her what he's seen and how Jim's handling it, along with Chris.

"Jim's been watching over this one little girl..Miranda," he shakes his head. "Four years old and no surviving family as far as we know. She was near death when Chapel set her on the bio-bed, ravaged with infections and she's nothin' but skin n' bones."

The days go by and more messages come in: Chris's utter disgust of the events and swearing that he would do everything in his power to keep her and Joshua safe. "_No one should ever go through what these people went through! _

Five weeks after the event, Rose gets a message from Leonard that shocks her. "_He wants to adopt Miranda! How the hell can he be a goddamn Captain AND a father? A single-father that is!" _

The night before Chris is due to return, their weeklong "baby making" adventure put on hold for damage control, Rose gets a message from Jim after years of silence. Attached to the message is a photo of a tiny little girl on a bio-bed, clutching a teddy bear in her arms. She looks so much like Jim; same blonde hair and same startling blue eyes.

"_This is Miranda and her friend Jim-Bear," _the message reads. "_I know we haven't talked in a long time, but I need your help. I'm putting in papers to adopt Miranda and I need character references- I have the crew doing a few, but I would really love it if you could write something for FCS. Yes, it's been a long time since we've talked, which pains me to no end.. but your support and kind words would mean the world to both of us." _

As Chris takes Joshua downstairs the next morning for breakfast, Rose quickly writes a character reference on one James Tiberius Kirk.

"_He is one of the greatest men I've ever gotten to know and I know that he will treat Miranda like the princess that she is. Every child deserves to be loved and to have someone to show them that and I believe that Mr. Kirk is the right person for Miranda."_

…..

She finally sees Jim for the first time in five years, almost three months later. The shuttle lands at the dock, and unloads; the crew looks exhausted and happy to be home after five years and one stressful event, which has shaken them all to the core. Chris goes down to greet them all, while Rose stays at home with Joshua.

By noon, Jim is knocking on the door; startled to see that it's her that answers and even more so by the fact that she's holding a baby in her arms.

"I-I thought this was Pike's house," he stammered, glancing between her and the baby. " you babysitting?"

She shook her head, "Chris is in his office," she steps aside. "This is Joshua."

Jim steps into the front hall and watches as she closes the door, "He's a cute kid.." Jim nodded.

Rose finally takes a good look at him and notes how much he's aged since the last time she saw him. The stubble that covers his face is dark, as well as the circles under his eyes; bloodshot and red. He's dressed in civvies and looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.

"Thank you," she gives him a small nod. "He's quite the monster these days, but what can you expect from a growing boy?"

Chris steps into the hall at that moment, which makes Joshua smile and hold his hands out. "Da!" he squeals, making Chris smile.

Jim gawks, his blue eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "_Da?" _he repeats, looking at Rose. "Wait.. you had a baby?" he asked, as Rose nods slowly. "With _Pike?" _

"_Jim," _she hisses, as Joshua squirms in her arms. "Not in front of the baby!"

Chris quickly claps Jim shoulder, "Come inside, kid," he nods towards the kitchen. "I'll get you a drink and we'll talk."

….

"So you got married a year after we left?" Jim finally says, after Chris and Rose explain the last five years to him. "You got married and had a baby?"

Rose nods, "Yes, Jim. We got married and had a baby," she sighs, checking the baby monitor for the twentieth time.

Jim shakes his head, "When.. when were you guys going to tell me?" he asked, looking more at Rose than at Chris. "Why didn't _you _tell me? I though we were friends, Rose?"

"Our relationship wasn't public, Jim. With me being a Cadet and Chris in line to get the _Enterprise…_we couldn't risk it," she sighs. "After you all came back and I woke up from my fever induced coma and learned about everything… I made a choice."

She glances at Chris and takes his hand into hers, "I chose to stay here with Chris," she finally nods. "I loved him and I couldn't bear to go away for five years, when he needed me here."

Jim shakes his head, "So staying behind to spoon feed him and then pop out a kid, makes it all find and dandy to stop talking?" he snaps, ignoring the glare that Chris gives him. "We've worried about you for years, Rose! Jesus Christ, as simple "I'm fine" would've sufficed!"

It's clear that Leonard, Spock and Nyota never told him about their five years worth of messages and calls, or that they knew who the woman Chris married was.

"I'm sorry, Jim," Rose says, because it's true. She is sorry for cutting off all contact with him and she's sorry that he had to find out this way. "Everything just.. went so fast and before I knew it.. I was pregnant with Joshua and I just couldn't do it. I couldn't call you and tell you any of it, because so much time had passed by."

The wail breaks through the baby monitor, crackling in the static, as Joshua wakes up from a very short nap. Chris stands up and states that he will go and check on him, leaving the two of them alone in the living room.

"How long?" Jim finally asks, as Chris can be heard from upstairs talking to the boy. "How long have you two been together?"

Rose looks down at her lap, "Rose.." Jim starts again, before she looks up at him.

"We met the night before the shuttle left Riverside," she sighs. "It was a one night stand and I had no idea who he was and I didn't expect to see him outside the bloody shuttle the next morning."

Jim shook his head, "So… for almost nine years, you've kept this from me? From Leonard?" he asks, as she sits quietly. "This entire time.. "

"Look, I never judged you for who you've slept with, Jim," she spits. "You have a lot of nerve coming into our house and judging us…. Judging me for the one person I slept with and then married!"

"At least I don't hide my relationships from my friends and then cut them off for five goddamn years!" he yelled. "Do you know? Do you have _any _idea how much I loved you?"

Rose blinks and the conversation she had with Leonard, so very long ago, comes rushing back in an instant. It was true. Jim had been in love with her.

"I was going to ask you out once we got up there," he shakes his head, laughing bitterly. "Wanted to prove to you that I could be a one woman man.. start a life with you and maybe have what so few of us Starfleet officers can have; a family.. a place to call home once the tours are done and the ships sit in a dry dock."

"I'm sorry," she shakes her head. "But even if you did tell me, I would've said no."

It hurts. This real, brutal honesty hurts her as she says it, because it kills Jim. He looks like a puppy that's been kicked aside, sitting in the very far corner of a play pen in a pet shop. And it destroys her.

"I do love you, Jim," she continues. "But not in the way that I love Chris."

"Oh…"

She looks up at him, "You were my friend, Jim. You saved me so many times before Starfleet came into our lives and I was.. I am, forever grateful for it," she nods. "But I don't love you the way you love me, because you deserve so much better."

"Rose, you know that's not true," he shakes his head. "How could anyone be better than you?"

Rose gives him a sad smile, "Chris and I have been through a lot together, Jim," she shakes her head. "We've seen each other at our worse and we made a promise.. a commitment to spend the rest of lives together."

Jim looks away and she continues, "I love him, Jim. He is my everything and he is the reason why I refuse to go back into space," she's determined to get him to see reason. "The fact that I almost lost him, while I was down here.. oblivious to the world around me, makes me so sick. What if I woke up and he was dead? That you and Spock and Leonard didn't get to him in time?"

She doesn't even realize that Chris is standing in the doorway of the living room at that point, quietly watching the scene before him. "He gave me something to live for, Jim. He gave me the chance to see that I am worth so much more than what the people of my past have said," the tears fall now, because this was a man that was her best friend and in her life long before Chris. "He's the father of my son and I could never take Joshua away from him, just to be with you. I'm sorry Jim, but this is my home. This is where I belong and it's where I'm staying."

The Captain finally looks up at her and nods, "Okay," he says, barely a whisper as he clears his throat again. "Okay."

He then notices Chris and quickly stands up, "I better go," he nods only once, as if it pains him to do so. "I'm supposed to meet up with Bones and his little girl for dinner."

Rose stands and follows him to the door, "Jim!"

He turns and looks at her, "I know you hate me for what I've done," she shakes her head. "But I do hope that one day you'll understand and that you'll forgive me."

"I don't hate you, Rose," Jim shakes his head. "I never did and I never will."

She looks down at her bare feet and nods slowly, "Look, we're going to be around for quite a while," Jim shrugs. "I'm sure the others would love to meet Joshua and fawn over him."

"Really?" she asks quietly, afraid that it's all a joke.

Jim nods, "How about we all get together tomorrow for dinner?" Jim shrugs. "What do you say old man? You still like pizza or did she put you on a freaky diet?"

Chris snorts, "Pizza is good, Jim," he nods. "Just let us know the time and place and we'll be there."

He smiles and turns to Rose, "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yes," she nods. "Tomorrow."

Jim gives them one last smile and pulls the front door open, stepping out on to the porch and shutting it behind him. It's not until the motorbike zooms away, that Rose falls to her knees and cries.


	3. Chapter 3

True to Jim's words, everyone fawns over Joshua. After getting over the initial shock that Chris married Rose, a woman much younger than himself after years of hiding their relationship, they zero in on the toddler.

"Oh my god, you are adorable!" Nyota coos, as Joshua tugs at her hair. "Look at those chubby cheeks and all that red hair!"

Chris and Rose are the mirror image of perfect parents, sitting close together with smiles on their face as the baby is passed around from each member of the bridge. Joshua takes keen interest in Spock's ears, which make the Vulcan blush as he reaches up to touch them.

"Sorry Spock," Chris chuckles as Joshua squees. "He's in the touching stage, which gets him into a lot of trouble."

Joanna, Leonard's little girl of only seven, sits with Joshua on her lap and frowns. "Does he always drool, Daddy?" she asks, as Leonard places his hand on Joshua's back to hold him up.

"Babies like to drool on everything, Jo," he smirks. "You used to do it too."

When Jim finally gets to hold him, Rose holds her breath and tenses up against Chris. They watch as Joshua looks up at him with curious eyes, before breaking out into a big smile.

"Boooo!" he points at him. "Booo!"

Jim's lips twitch, "Aw, you don't like me?" he asks, as Joshua drools and grunts. "You're not the only one. Spock's lady over there doesn't really like me either."

"I think he's saying blue, Keptin," Pavel nods, as Joshua pulls at Jim's leather jacket.

Rose nods, "He's saying blue, " she confirms, turning to the others. "Now that he can talk, it's very noisy in the house. And here I thought Chris talked too much.."

A round of laughter goes around the table and Joshua shrieks with glee, as Jim tickles him lightly. 'So what are we hoping for?" he asks, looking up at the parents. "Captain? Doctor? Movie star?"

Chris grins, "Right now? We're just hoping he slows down a bit," he shakes his head. "But I wouldn't be upset if he wanted to take after his old man."

The rest of the evening goes as well as it can, catching up with old friends and meeting ne ones. Learning about the shenanigans that went on for the last five years and seeing how everyone changed. By eight, everyone calls it a night; some heading home, while the others prepare to head out for the bars.

"Len, you should stop by with Jo one day," Rose smiles. "Bring this Christine you've been chattering about, too!"

Leonard blushes, which is very rare for her to see, and nods. By the time everyone leaves, Jim is the last one standing with them, as Chris buckles Joshua up in the car seat.

"He's a good boy," Jim nods. "I'm very happy for you guys."

Rose smiles, "Thank you, Jim,' she nods. "He's something else… I can't believe he's all mine."

Jim nods and she finally asks him the question that's been on her mind since the night before. "What ever happened to the little girl you were going to adopt?" she asks. "Miranda?"

It obvious that her question catches him off guard, because he tenses up and whatever light that was in his eyes.. dies.

"I'm sorry.. I shouldn't pry.." she shakes her head, before Jim stops her.

"No, no.. it's fine," he sighs. "She um.. she died."

Rose gasps, "What? But… I thought she was getting better?" she asks. "Oh god.."

Jim rubs the back of his neck, "She caught a cold from another patient and her body just couldn't fight it off," he shrugs. "Bones, Spock and I tried so hard to figure something out to contain the virus.. but she was so weak and her immune system couldn't fight it off."

She watches as he pauses for a moment, her heart breaking at the sight of him and what he's telling her. "She died in my arms in the middle of the night," he finally says. "I'd already told her that I was going to adopt her and that I would be her father by that point. God, she was so happy Rose. So goddamn happy!"

"Oh Jim…"

"All she could talk about was the fact that once the ship docked, she would live in a real house with a real bedroom and a real bed all to herself, " he shook his head. "She called me Dad too.. before she died."

By now, Rose is crying. "I'm so sorry," she shakes her head.

"I really loved her, Rose," he looks up her, tears filling his eyes. "God, I wanted her so bad too. I was going to make her happy and raise her the right way, you know? Give her the life that I never got to have and give her things that my mother never gave me."

She pulls him into a hug and lets him cry on her shoulder, not caring that his tears are soaking through her shirt. She looks up and sees Chris watching, and shakes her head.

"How about you come home with us?" she finally suggests. "I'll call Hikaru or someone to come get your bike so they can drop it off at our house."

"I couldn't do that," Jim shakes his head, wiping furiously at his eyes. "Don't wanna be a burden to you."

Rose shakes her head, because she's not going to take no for an answer. "Jim, you shouldn't be alone," she states firmly. "As your friend, I refuse to let you drink your liver away at some shitty bar."

Jim snorts, "I'm serious," she shakes him lightly. "We have coffee from all over the world, because Chris is an addict; even though he tries so hard to deny it. And lots of junk food, because I cannot live without consuming enough fat and sugar, which would make Leonard's blood pressure go through the roof."

"Same could be said about you and your tea," Jim retorts, chuckling. "Are you sure?"

Rose nods, "I'm sure," she nods. "We can talk about Miranda or we can talk about stupid shit like… how ridiculously stupid Admiral Archer is about his new dog."

"Okay," Jim sighs. "Guess I'll go home with you guys."

She smiles and throws her arm around his shoulders, "Guest room as a good mattress too," she says, as they start towards the car. "One night in that bed and you'll be begging Starfleet to order them up for the ship in no time."

"You could always just adopt me," Jim shrugs, as they make their way up to the car. "I don't require a lot of care. Just leave me a six pack of beer and food and I'm good."

Chris snorts, "Did we just pick up a stray?" he asks, as Rose opens the passenger side door to the car. "Kid, I'll only adopt you if you pay rent."

"But Chrissss!" he whines, earning a giggle from Rose. "Fine.. I'll pay rent!"

"Oh god," Chris pulls the door open. "What the hell did you just sign me up for, Rose?"

They climb into the car, careful not to startle Joshua out of a light doze, and pull out of the parking space. It's a quiet ride home, as Jim sends a few messages to the others about who will pick up his bike.

"Scotty says he and Hikaru are going to bring the bike over in an hour," he yawns, as they step into the house. "They'll park it next to your car."

"That's fine," Rose nods, as she takes Joshua from Chris. "I'm going to put this one up to bed and change. You two go ahead and put a pot of coffee on."

She disappears quickly upstairs, leaving them in the middle of the hall. After brief moment of silence, Chris pats Jim on the shoulder and starts for the kitchen.

"So is it true that you have coffee from like.. all over the world?" Jim asks, as he follows him. "What about all over the universe?"

When Rose joins them a little later, dressed down for the night, they've sipped through two cups of Hawaiian Kona coffee and a package of cookies sits between them.

"Bloody hell," Rose shakes her head, eyeing the half empty package. "You two are pigs!"

They chuckle as she moves to set the teapot up, "I wouldn't laugh, Chris!" she warns. "You know you're not supposed to eat all that junk food! Phil is going to have a heart attack when you go in for your annual next week."

"You shouldn't eat it either, but I don't say anything, "Chris snorts, as she bustles around the kitchen. "A few cookies wont kill me."

Jim laughs, "God, you two are like an old married couple.." he shakes his head. "I wish I could video tape this and show the others how Admiral Christopher Pike gets verbally bitch-slapped by his wife."

The conversation starts off light and cheerful; Jim's plans for the time off and how catching up on what he's missed in the last five years. Then the topic gravitates back to Miranda and the future Jim could've had with the little girl. Chris and Rose learn that just after a few hours of her death, Jim received notification that would make him Miranda's foster father.

"FCS wanted to see how well Miranda would adapt to living in a real home," Jim sighs, as Rose looks at the photos on a PADD. "They would send someone out every week and set up security feeds in my place to review and discuss what was right for her."

"God," Chris shakes his head. "I'm so sorry, Jim. She was such a cute kid and anyone would've been stupid to not see how much she loved you."

Chris knows this from fine observation, spending many hours in sickbay with the survivors and even speaking to the child himself. Seeing her, along with all the other children, made him want to hug his son even tighter and thank his lucky stars that he was safe in his crib at home and not on some planet in the cold.

"Guess that saying, "everything happens for a reason," is real, huh?" Jim shrugs. "They let me decide on what to do with her… you know, if I should burry or cremate her and all.."

They nod, "Spock ended up deciding because I just couldn't do it," Jim shakes his head. "Had to be sedated in my quarters til it was done, because I just couldn't function and make the choice for myself."

"What did he decide?" Chris asks.

"Originally they were going to burry her here.. in San Francisco," Jim sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "But then Nyota told him about this necklace she had. A little heart charm that held the ashes of her great-great-grandma who died before she got into Starfleet."

He reaches into his shirt and pulls out the silver chain, a small bear charm hanging off of it. "I was pissed at first when they told me," he shakes his head. "Bones had to sedate me for another few days because of it. Then when I finally woke up, Nyota had left this by my bedside and when I realized that Miranda would always be with me in this way… I felt a little better about it."

He looks up at them, "She's my little guardian angel now."

They talk for a little longer and before they know it, it's nearly three in the morning. Chris is halfway to dreamland and Jim is ready to drop at the table, when Rose gets up and shakes them awake. They make their way up the stairs, Chris heading to the master bedroom and Rose leading Jim to the guest room.

"If you need to use the loo, it's right across the hall," she says, turning down the sheets. "Extra blankets are in the closet as well as towels."

Jim mumbles as he staggers out of his boots, and falls face first into bed. "Oh _god," _he groans, pulling the pillow closer. "This bed is magical."

Rose giggles and pulls the blankets up and over him, "Get some sleep, Jim," she turns the light out.

"Hmmmm Night, Rosie," he slurs, before falling into a steady stream of snores.

Checking quickly on Joshua, Rose makes her way into her own bedroom and finds Chris in the same position. At least this time, he's managed to change into a pair of pajama bottoms.

"Boys," she mumbles, as she climbs up into bed.

Pulling the comforter up and over them both, she snuggles down against the pillows and yawns. Chris takes this moment to wrap his arm around her waist, startling her, as he pulls her close.

"I love you," he mumbles against her ear, pressing his lips just below the lobe.

Rose smiles and turns her head to kiss him, "Love you, too," she whispers, as he buries his face into the crook of her shoulder.

That night she dreams of a little girl, blonde haired and blue eyed, holding onto a teddy bear. Both are burning. Rose isn't surprised when she wakes up later that morning, her eyes burning from tears and her face damp.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks go in a blur, as Rose juggles everything that Chris can't do when he's in meetings and trying to keep Cadets from acting out of line. As the days go by, several of their friends stop by for a visit; lunch with Leonard, Joanna and Christine. Dinner with Spock and Nyota, which leads to a few rounds of chess between Chris and Spock, while the girls play with Joshua in the den.

Some nights, Joshua spends the night with his Grandmother, so that Chris and Rose can go out for drinks or just to simply be social with the group. Jim comes and goes between work at the Academy and hanging around a few hours at whatever bar they end up at.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?" Leonard asks, as Jim pulls his leather jacket on. "You're going to miss the good part! We're just settling in for the big debate between Scotty and the kid over which is better. Scotch or Vodka."

Jim snorts, "I'm good, Bones," he grins. " It's been a long day and I wanna get a head start on updating my bike."

"You mean that piece of tin?" Chris snorts, taking a sip from his beer. "Are you going to add a helmet?"

Rose tries to bite back the smile that wants to spread across her face, but fails miserably. She knows that Jim will never wear a helmet, no matter how hard anyone begs him too.

"That's my baby you're talking about, old man," Jim chuckles. "You'll see! When it's all done and ready, you'll be crying for one."

"Oh he can cry," Rose shakes her head. "Doesn't mean he's getting a bike."

Leonard snorts as Chris wraps his arm around her shoulders, "But Rose," he pouts. She gives him a stern look, which makes him sigh. "Okay, okay," he sighs. "No bike."

Rose smiles, "You'll thank me one day, " she promises, patting his cheek. "You can get a new holo-screen..something that doesn't result in death or maiming."

"Mid-life crisis already?" Jim snorts, as he swipes his credit chip to pay for his drinks. "Aren't you a bit young for that?"

"My mid-life crisis is you, Jim," Chris says, trying very hard to be serious. It doesn't help when is wife snickers at him and the look on shock on Jim's face, that makes him relax. "Which is pretty tame considering the shit you like to pull."

Jim rolls his eyes, "You _adore _me," he looks smug as he says this. "Who else makes your job exciting but me?"

"I'd adore you more if you stopped coming to my office and putting your muddy boots on my desk," Chris corrects him.

"Yeah, yeah," Jim sighs. "I'll see you all later! Bones, I will call you tomorrow."

Leonard rolls his eyes, "Oh god.. why?" he shakes his head. "Try to get home in one piece, Jim."

A few hours after Jim leaves, Leonard takes his cue to head home shortly before eleven. Joanna is with a sitter and Christine is due home from a late shift at the hospital, which means that it's his turn to bring home dinner for her.

"How about we get some dinner and call it a night?" Chris suggests, as she drains the last of her beer. "Maybe some Chinese?"

They pay their tab and bustle out past the locals, taking the five minute drive to their favorite take out place. As their food cooks, they stand by the counter and wait, wrapped up in each others arms. It's a slow night at the restaurant, especially for a Friday night; a few Cadets come and go, as well as young couples on date night.

"Remember when I first took you here?" Chris whispers, as a young couple giggles in the corner. "I distinctively remember you giggling just like that."

"I distinctively remember you bringing me back to your place and screwing me into the mattress that entire weekend," she smirks. "Think I can get a repeat of that?"

Chris warps his arms around her waist and pulls her close, "If you play your cards right, I may just call Grandma and have her keep the baby for an extra day."

They take the food home and spend the entire weekend in bed, before waking up early on Monday to pick Joshua up from his extended sleepover.

…..

"Chris! Can you take the baby?"

Joshua squirms against her side and tries his very best to shove his hand into the cookie batter.

"Joshua Robert!" Rose huffs, as the two-year-old squeals. "You cannot eat that!"

Chris makes his way into the kitchen, "Josh, why are you being bad?" he asks, holding his arms out for him. "Come on, kiddo. Leave your Mother in peace so she can bake her cookies."

"No! Mummy play!" Joshua pouts, which is a mirror expression of Chris. Everything Joshua does results in him looking like a miniature Chris, which startles Rose sometimes. "Play!"

"How about _I _play with you and then when Mommy is done, we can all play together?" Chris suggests.

The terrible twos are just that. Terrible. Between temper tantrums both in public and at home, and the sheer pleasure of throwing toys at people, are enough to drive Rose up the wall. Or take a phaser shot to the head.

"Hmm? How does that sound?" Chris asks, as Joshua blinks. "We can play with your spaceships or with those little toy hover cars that you got for your birthday."

"PLAY!"

Chris sets him down and watches as he runs off into the other room, screeching in the process. He chuckles and turns to his wife, who sets the little lumps of raw dough onto the baking tray.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asks, as he makes his way over to her.

Rose nods, "Just tired," she yawns, while resting her head back against his shoulder. "Between Joshua and this one… I just don't have the energy anymore."

"This one", the baby growing and expanding within her womb, gives a swift kick to her ribs, to which Chris hisses because it's a pretty damn swift one.

"Why don't you let me do this and you go on upstairs for a nap?" he suggests. "I even promise that Joshua wont eat them all."

Rose snorts, "I think you're talking about yourself, darling," she shakes her head. "I'll only take a nap if you promise not to burn these. Last time I left you alone with the baking, I thought you tried to melt tar in our oven."

He kisses the side her head, "Just get your butt up in that bed and take a nap," he growls. "I'll try to get the monster down for his nap and join you."

She nods and steps away from the counter, "Just don't forget my cookies!" she warns, giving him a quick kiss. "And try not to break anything."

At seven months pregnant, she can still scare him with her stern glare and hidden threats. She can also pack a mean punch, especially when he becomes to grabby when it's just them and they've finally got each other alone for the evening. As she makes her way out of the kitchen and down the hallway, yelling for Joshua to be good, Chris can't help but watch her as she moves. After all these years, she's still as beautiful as she was the day they met; older and slightly worn out from motherhood and taking care of a house, but beautiful nonetheless. And she's all his. His wife, his confidant, the mother of his children and the love of his life.

But that alone doesn't stop him from worrying that one day, he could lose it all.


	5. Chapter 5

Their daughter makes her grand arrival four weeks early, after Rose slips on a patch of ice while making her way down the front steps of their house. Chris had been struggling with Joshua, who was adamant about getting into the snow, with or without his hat, when it happened. That shrill scream of pain, startling them both, as they turned around to find her on the steps. The contractions start immediately, as if the baby knew something was wrong, sending Rose into a fit of screams and pleading for their baby to be safe.

Chris manages to grab the communicator out of his coat pocket, calling in for an emergency transport and for Phil to meet them upon arrival. Joshua cries hysterically, as his mother screams in pain. He continues to scream as they're beamed into Starfleet General and Rose is whisked off be examined. Jim is the first person he calls, since McCoy's off in Georgia with his daughter, explaining the situation as best as he can.

It's only ten minutes, maybe less, when Jim and Scotty burst into the waiting room; both are covered in what looks like oil and other questionable things.

"What happened?" Jim asks, as he reaches them.

"We were taking the baby out to play in the snow," Chris rambles, as Joshua whimpers. "She slipped on a patch of ice that covered the steps and went into labor."

Jim can see the pain on Chris's face and realizes that he blames himself for what happened. "Pike," he settles his hands on his shoulders. "Breathe, old man. She's gonna be fine and you know it; both her and the baby."

Chris nods, though he's unsure; that nagging feeling that he's had for months, about how he could one day lose everything. His wife and children all in the blink of an eye, despite how silly it sounds; he's perfectly healthy and so is Joshua and Rose; until now that is.

"Chris!"

Phil is dressed in surgical scrubs, coming out from the closed off portion of the hospital. "We're taking her in now for an emergency c-section," he said, nodding to Jim and Scotty. "Let's get you suited up and in there. She's asking for you."

"We'll take the lad," Scotty breaks in, nodding to Joshua. "Ah got mah PADD with me and Ah think we can find something for him to play."

Nodding, Chris hands over his son and rushes after his old friend, quickly pulling on the green scrubs that are trusted into his arms. Once he's dressed and his hands are cleaned with the standard soap, Chris finds himself sitting at the head of the operating table.

"Chris," Rose gasps, as he takes her hand into his; the IV's pierce the porcelain skin that he loves so much. "I'm so scared."

He leans down and kisses her, "It's going to be fine," he promises her, as Phil begins the surgery. "Phil's gonna get that baby out and he's gonna make sure that both of you get through this."

She nods, "It's going to be fine, Rose," he insists, as Phil hands a bloodied medical instrument to a nurse. "Let's think of names, yeah?"

Forty-five minutes later, Abigail Noelle Pike is swaddled in a pink blanket and in her father's arms. She's the perfect combination of both him and Rose; a patch of blonde hair nestled on her head and the delicate bone structure of her mother, she is the definition of beauty. Rose makes it through the surgery, sewn up and redressed in a clean hospital gown; drugged heavily for the time being, as the bruises begin to form on her lower back from the fall.

"She's very lucky," Phil announces, later as they watch the woman sleep in her private quarters. "Had she landed on her belly.. you wouldn't be sitting here with that little girl."

Chris nods and thanks him, for saving both his wife and his little girl. He doesn't want to think about the fact that he almost lost them both that day. Jim and Scotty come by with Joshua, quietly admiring the newest addition to the Pike family.

"What a beautiful little thing," Scotty sighs. "Yeh better get a phaser, sir. All the boys are gonna be after this one."

Jim just smiles at the newborn, "You did good, old man," he claps his shoulder, gently so that he doesn't wake the baby. "I'll call the others to let them know that Miss Abby's here. Scotty and I will go to your place and salt the hell out of walkway and those steps."

He gives them his thanks and promises to call when Rose wakes from her drug induced slumber, to which Joshua can't understand when she doesn't say "hi" when he greets her.

"Mommy's sleeping," Chris tells him, a little after Jim and Scotty left them for the evening. "When she wakes up, you can talk to her all you want."

The little boy pouts and hugs his leg, "Mama sleep?" he asks.

Chris nods, "She's sleeping," he confirms. "You wanna see your sister? She's been waiting a long time to see you."

That night, after the nurse brings Abigail back to the nursery, Chris settles his son into the cot they've set up. Instead of joining him, he sits in the chair next to the hospital bed and holds one of Roses's hands. That night, he doesn't sleep.

…

When Rose is finally discharged, two days later, Chris makes sure that someone is always with her. It's amusing the first few days since their return home, but by the time Monday rolls around, Rose gets tired of it.

"There's no ice in the house, Chris," she snaps, as he walks her to the bathroom. "Can't I pee in peace?"

Wounded, Chris lets go of her arm and steps back, trying to hide the hurt from showing on his face. Rose sighs and leans against the wall, ashamed for lashing out when all he wants to do his help.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I just want two minutes to myself."

He nods, "It's fine," he says, even though it's really not. Not in his eyes at least. "I should check on the kids anyway."

Before he can leave, Rose is pulling him back towards her by the wrist, wrapping her arms as tightly as she can while minding the incision on her belly.

"I know you're worried, "she says, as he hugs her. "But I don't think I can do much damage while taking a piss."

They both snort and giggle, because it's true. Rose is capable of using the toilet without assistance and she needs the few minutes to breathe.

"Check on the kids and then you can walk me back to bed," she kisses his cheek. "If we can spare an hour, we can cuddle."

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" he asks, looking down at her.

Rose smiles, "You tell me everyday," she nods. "At every waking moment, even when I'm cross at you."

He chuckles, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she blushes, even though they've been married for so long now. "Even when you're a hovering pain in my ass."

She then slips quietly into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Chris then checks on the kids; Joshua's out cold in his bed, surrounded by his toys. Abigail sleeps quietly in her crib, a complete opposite of when Joshua was a newborn and spent hours screaming when he should've been sleeping. When he makes his way back into the hall, Rose is waiting for him, looking refreshed and happy.

"Don't tell me that taking a piss is the reason why you're glowing," he snorts, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"It's not," she giggles, as they start towards their bedroom. "Are they sleeping?"

He nods and she grins, "Let the cuddling begin!"

…

Six weeks later, Chris, Rose and their two children are invited to a small get-together at Jim's new apartment. He's only invited his bridge crew and them, wanting to catch up and enjoy some type of normalcy; they're not due back in space for another two years, as the _Enterprise _sits on a dry dock for a extensive refit.

It's also at this party that Jim introduces them to his girlfriend, Carol Marcus. Rose only knows her as the daughter of Admiral Marcus and a former classmate; they never spoke to one another in the three years she studied at the Academy. But when Carol turns and smiles at them, holding out her hand in greeting, Rose can't help but smile.

"Hello!" Carol beams at them, her British accent soft and musical. "You must be Rose and Chri- I mean, Admiral Pike," she blushes in embarrassment.

"Call me Chris," Chris shakes his head. "Admiral is too serious for this get together."

Carol nods and her attention zero's in on the kids, "Oh my goodness," she gasps, setting her drink down on the table. "Aren't you adorable!"

Abigail coos from her carrier, nestled within her blankets. "She's like a china doll," Carol says, looking up at Rose. "How old is she?"

As Rose and Carol bond over their daughter, Joshua shrieks and rushes towards Scotty, while Chris and Jim watch.

"She's a lovely young woman, "Chris whispers to Jim, as Carol laughs. "Don't mess this up or her father will be after you."

Three hours into the party, as Carol listens intently to Joshua babble about his baby sister and how his father tells "Unca Jim to be nice" to the bad guys, Rose pulls Jim aside to catch up.

"How are you feeling?" Jim asks, as he gets her a glass of water. "You look good!"

"Still sore and very tired," she shrugs. "The place looks amazing, Jim. A far better look than what you had in the dorms."

Jim snorts, "That's because it's mine and I'm not sharing it with Bones," he settles down at the table. "So… what do you think of Carol?"

Rose takes a sip of her water, setting the glass down on a coaster. "I think she's lovely."

And it's the honest truth; Carol Marcus is perfect for Jim, in ways that Rose could never have been for him. Together, they are beautiful; both blonde and fit. While Carol is polite and graceful, Jim is loud and somewhat reckless. To others, they would be labeled as doomed right from the start. But to his close friends- his family- their relationship is accepted. It's a clear and hopeful sign that Jim has finally grown up; the bar crawls til the asscrack of dawn are done along with hooking up with every female in the human and various alien races.

"Do you love her?" Rose asks, as Jim traces his fingers along the tabletop. "And I don't mean the kind of love that occurs after screwing her six ways into Sunday."

Jim cracks a smile and nods, "I do. Yeah, I love her."

"Then don't let her go, Jim."

…

Later that night, long after the kids are put into bed, Chris and Rose sit in the den with the fireplace running. They each hold a steaming mug of hot coco and a heavy blanket is settled across their laps.

"Warm enough?" he asks, as she settles her head against his shoulder.

"Very," she nods, smiling as he kisses the top of her head.

The fire cracks as the logs burn, filling the room with enough warmth to soothe an army. It's only January, but the winter has been a harsh one; flu outbreaks and days of heavy snowfall that cover the lawns and every other surface in the city. It's the most snow anyone's seen in San Francisco in over a hundred and twenty years. It reminds Rose of home, in the countryside just south of London, where the snow fell and covered miles and miles of land.

"You're quiet," Chris finally says, after a few moments of silence. "Usually it takes one cup of hot coco for you to talk dirty to me."

"Too bad I'm in no condition to ravish you," she pouts.

While her incision is clearing up nicely, according to Phil, it's still too soon to think about sex. Between having her organs moved about and the nasty fall that created this whole disaster, it would be a while before Rose would pull on a lingerie set and have her way with Chris.

"Are you tired?"

Rose nods, "And achy," she mumbles, pressing her nose into the thermal shirt that he's wearing. "Hmm, you smell good."

"Firewood and baby powder?" Chris chuckles, setting his mug on the table next to the sofa. "My dear Rose, you are too much."

"Hmm, but you love me anyway," she says. "You love me enough to just agree with me when I say that you smell good."

Chris runs his fingers through her hair and nods, "I do," he agrees. "I really do."


	6. Chapter 6

Nearly a year after Abigail's birth, Jim Kirk marries Carol Marcus. Three months later, they welcome David Marcus Kirk, just as Spring fell upon San Francisco. The pure joy, written all over Jim's face and how he moved, was so apparent to his friends and family; it startled the brass at the Academy, especially when he requested additional time off, while the _Enterprise _still sat in dock, with only twenty percent of the re-fit completed.

"It's like looking at a whole new person," Chris shook his head, as he and Rose left the Kirk household; a decent sized house with enough room for Jim, Carol and little David. "Was I like that when Joshua was born?"

Rose snorted, "You were worse," she says, as they make their way down their block. "I couldn't get you to put him down for a second, while you were in motion. I had to threaten sedatives when you tried to use the grill with one hand!"

Abigail squealed from her car seat, as Joshua played with his spaceship. "What are you squealing about back there?" Chris asks, as he pulled into the driveway. "Miss Abigail, you're awfully cheerful today."

"Maybe she's got a crush on David," Rose teases, as they climb out of the hover-car. "He's all Carol."

"Except for the blue eyes," Chris states, as he unbuckles Joshua from his booster seat. "He'll be a heartbreaker for sure."

One they make their way inside the house, Joshua is let loose to play as Abigail reaches out for her father. He takes her and kisses her nosily on the cheek, making her screech in delight.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, carrying her into the kitchen. "I think there's a box of animal crackers with your name on it."

Rose watches from the doorway of the kitchen, as Chris settles the girl into the highchair; the animal crackers settled into a plastic bowl in front of her, as he puts together a bottle of juice. From the den, she can hear Joshua babbling to himself, the sound of his toys hitting the floor as he plays with them. There's no doubt in her mind that she'll spend an hour, cleaning up the mess that he'll leave behind; at just four months shy of his fourth birthday, Joshua is growing up way too fast for their liking. Pre-school will be the first hurdle that they'll face in the fall, ending the years of being home all day long with his parents.

Ever since both Joshua and Abigail's arrivals, Chris takes the idea of retirement seriously; especially after the traumatic experience when it came to the birth of their daughter. In June, it'll be forty years of service, most of them spent being a Captain and the last seven as Admiral. Nearing his sixties, four years shy that is, it's time to move on.

_I'm done, Rosie. Forty years is enough and I want to spend the next forty years with my wife and kids._

Rose supports his decision, because Starfleet has changed so much since Nero and the destruction of Vulcan. Every time he's summoned to the office, sometimes in the middle of the night or right before dinner is set on the table, Rose fears the worst. That they'll order him onto a ship to fix a crisis or that close friends of theirs went missing or fell in battle. The worrying has aged her, along with being a mother to two small children, that it's become apparent over the years.

"Rose?"

She jumps, startled out of her daydream, and looks up to find Chris staring at her.

"Hmm?"

"I was asking what you wanted for dinner?" he frowns. "You okay?"

Rose nods, "Yes," she smiles. "Just thinking is all."

"Ma!" Abigail screeches, banging her hands on the tray of the highchair. "Ma!"

"Little girls don't screech," Rose scolds, despite the smile on her face, as she makes her way into the kitchen. "You've gone and smashed your biscuits all over the place."

Abigail screeches in delight, not caring about the mess that she's made, beaming at her. Pulling the tray out, Rose picks her up and settles her onto her hip.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Abby," she kisses her cheek. "You need a new nappy, darling."

"I'll go check on the monster," Chris grins, as Abigail drools on her fingers. "Then I'll figure out what to make for dinner."

Rose smiles, "If he's gone and broken something, it's your turn to clean it up," she says, giggling at the heavy sigh he releases. "Last week I had to clean up mess with the paint canisters. I still have to cover the handprints on the walls in the spare bedroom."

"Maybe he'll become an artist," Chris shrugs, as they start for the hall. "I'd rather he paint for a living."

Since the kids were born, Chris was adamant on keeping them from joining Starfleet; despite telling his close friends that he wouldn't mind if Joshua followed his footsteps. After years of sending out messages to the families of his deceased crewmembers, Chris realized how that grief could destroy someone; a precious life created from two people, gone in an instant up in the black. Being a captain and having no personal bond between a crewmember, besides work, made it a bit easier to deal with the loss; it killed him to write the letters to let someone know that their baby was dead. But the idea of being on the receiving end of a letter like that? It made the incentive to retire and distance himself from Starfleet even more important.

"If only collages of handprints were popular with interior design," Rose teases, as she starts for the stairs. "We'll be down in a little bit!"

Chris nods and steps into the den, stepping over the first pile of toys that are left behind in the wake of Joshua's adventure.

"Joshua!" Chris gasps; taking note of the books that lay scattered on the floor. "What did you do?"

Joshua giggles, dropping the ancient tombs onto the floor, before pulling another off the shelf. Rushing forward, Chris manages to stop him, setting the book back in its place, before picking him up.

"No," he shakes his head, as Joshua begins to whine. "Mommy is going to be so mad, kiddo. These are her books."

"Uh oh," Joshua shakes his head. "I sorry!"

He kisses his cheek, "It's okay, little man," he settles him onto his feet. "How about you help me with putting them back on the shelf? Before she comes downstairs with your sister?"

They manage to get all the books back onto the shelf, just as Rose makes her way back downstairs with Abigail; a crisis adverted, much to Chris's pleasure.

…

June arrives quickly and Chris officially retires from Starfleet; forty years of service under his belt and the rest of his life to sleep in past the crack of dawn and actually take a vacation for more than a day or two. There's a small ceremony, which brings up years of memories and the understanding that it's the end of a era. The original "badasses" as Jim puts it, leaving and the new generation coming in to take over.

"Soon it'll be you retiring," Chris warns, as Jim snorts into his drink. "Trust me, Jim. Marriage and kids change things for you, no matter how hard you try to keep on the path you've set out for yourself."

Jim only nods, the humor leaving his eyes as he searches for Carol and David in the room. He finally spots them in the corner, Carol laughing as Abigail sits on Rose's lap, peering down at the newborn with curiosity.

"When did you know that your time here was coming to an end?" Jim asks.

"When Joshua was born, I knew I wanted to cut back on being in the office and traveling," he says, as the boy sits with McCoy and his teenaged daughter. "When he was six months old, I contemplated on retirement."

"Why'd you wait?" Jim frowns, turning to look at him.

Chris chuckles, "The pension was better."

They both laugh, "So I guess I have a long way to go, huh?" Jim sighs, turning his attention back to his wife and son.

"Not necessarily," Chris shrugs. "You're still young enough that you can do whatever you want. You could teach and do minor missions, instead of five year tours. Starfleet could use your smarts in the classroom, especially with the batch of recruits they have coming in the fall."

Jim snorts, "I guess it's a good thing you're leaving now, huh?"

"You bet your ass it is," Chris shakes his head, downing the rest of his drink. "It's exhausting, making sure that you keep your ass out trouble every damn day."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Jim asks. "I mean, now that you don't have to report to meetings and clean up after rowdy cadets."

They settle on the chairs against the wall, after standing on their feet all morning long. "Well, tomorrow I plan on sleeping in til noon," he chuckles. "Though I'm not sure if Rose will allow that to happen."

Jim smirks, "Hell no," he shakes his head. "Rose only gave out that pass if Len and I were in bed dying of illness- well, it was mostly me that was dying from illness."

Chris snickers, "If that's code for hung-over, I believe it," he shakes his head. "I've been thinking about taking Rose on that honeymoon we never got to take. But it's a tough choice to make when your wife doesn't want to leave the planet."

"Hawaii is nice this time of the year," Jim shrugs. "Or you could always go to London and rent a little place in the countryside."

"Hmmm, it's too rainy in London," Chris scowls, making the younger man snort. "If you could take Carol anywhere for a week, without the baby, where would you take her?"

Jim shifts in the chair and sighs, "She's always wanted to backpack across Australia,  
he smiles. "See the wildlife and camp under the stars. You know, spend the entire week without the luxuries that we're so lucky to have."

"Rose isn't that fond of nature," Chris sighs. "Dammit, this is harder than I thought."

"Relax," Jim snorts. "I think Hawaii is the perfect choice! A week on the beach with your wife, with no children to worry about. It's perfect!"

From across the room, David begins to cry, startling Abigail, who's in the middle of studying him intently.

"Uh oh," Jim sighs, setting his drink on the small table. "Duty calls!"

Jim's up in a flash, making his way over to the sofa, while Rose pulls Abigail onto her lap. As Carol and Jim carry the newborn out of the room, Chris gets up from his own chair and takes the vacated spot that Carol's left behind.

"Abby, did you make him cry?" Chris teases, as the toddler reaches for him.

"He's been extremely colicky," Rose sighs. "Poor Carol's at her wits end between the lack of sleep and trying new things to get David to sleep at night."

Chris shudders, remembering the first four months of Joshua's life, when colic kept him up all night long; the endless trips both he and Rose took, stumbling down the hall into the nursery at all hours of the night. They'd been lucky when it'd stopped after five months, when many of his friends shared their horror stories of their children having it up until a year old.

"Hopefully it'll end soon," Chris sighs, as Abigail reaches out for him. "He's only two months old."

She nods and watches as Joshua sticks close to Scotty and Leonard, babbling about god only knows what; his interests change everyday from spaceships to bugs to puppies.

"Some of the boys were thinking about getting together tomorrow to go fishing," Chris says, as he fixes the bow in Abigail's hair.

"Oh no," Rose giggles. "Are you going to be one of those retiree's that spends the weekends playing golf and going on fishing trips with the "boys", while the wife stays home all day?"

Chris chuckles, "Hell no," he shakes his head. "I figured you and Mom can take the kids down to the beach for the day. Len's going with us, so that Christine can take Jo to the beach as well."

"Leonard doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would do well on boats," Rose snorts. "He hates anything that isn't solid ground."

Abigail begins to whine at that moment, frustrated that she's not getting enough attention from Chris.

"What?" Chris asks, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "What's wrong, Abby girl?"

"Dadaaaaaa," she whines, her face crumpling with impending tears.

Rose sighs, "There's a bottle of juice in the diaper bag," she says, as Chris tries to sooth the little girl. "It's on the desk in your office."

Chris stands, "If anyone asks, I fled the state," he jokes, as Abigail wraps her arms around his neck "Let's get your juice and find you something to eat, missy."

As he leaves the room, Rose sits back on the sofa and sighs. The relief that she's feeling, knowing that tomorrow morning will consist of no alarm clocks or phone calls from the office, settles in. To have his full attention at home, without Starfleet getting in the way, makes her giddy; all the plans of family vacations that had been put on hold, can finally take place. Sleeping in later than seven, especially since it's summertime, sounds like heaven. Everything about Chris's retirement sounds like heaven. So many things have been put off since they got married, some projects partially done or nowhere near done, as they dealt with Starfleet and raising two children.

So, on the sunny June afternoon, in one of the many conference rooms, friends and family gather to celebrate this next phase of Christopher Pike's life.


	7. Chapter 7

Their third child comes six months after Abigail turns three; three weeks shy of their eight days shy of their tenth wedding anniversary. Samantha Claire Pike, like her elder sister, is absolutely stunning; red hair and milky white skin, she is a clone of her mother. By the time she's six months old is apparent that she will be a heartbreaker, much to her father's distress.

The _Enterprise _is off on another five-year mission, just six months in when she arrives. Except this time around, it's Spock that runs the show, while Jim stays dirt side with Carol, David and their three-month-old daughter, Riley. Leonard and Christine also skip the mission, having been married for two years and expecting their first child by the end of the year. It took one big argument between Jim and Carol, for the young captain to realize that space didn't mean jack shit when it was up against family. It took a pep talk from Chris and a nasty hangover for Jim to realize that Carol was right, sending in for temporary leave from active duty.

"Of course we're staying behind!" Leonard exclaimed, after he and Christine announced that they were expecting. "You think I'm gonna jet off and leave my wife and this idiot behind?"

So they spent the first six months of the mission, playing with their kids and tending to the wives needs as they sat around in various stages of pregnancy. By the time Samantha arrives, Rose is pretty sure that she's done birthing out eight pound babies. Chris on the other hand, wants more kids to fill the home and their lives, especially now that he has all the time in the world to watch them grow. Just two years retired has changed the former Admiral, as the kids grew up before their eyes.

"This is your sister!" Chris says, as he carries Abigail over to the hospital bed.

Joshua frowns, "A girl?" he asks, wrinkling his nose. "Why can't it be a boy?"

Rose giggles, "That's not how it works, love," she says, shifting the newborn in her arms. "I can't flip a switch to make it what you want."

Nearly seven, Joshua is growing fast, much to Rose's heartbreak; her first born is no longer a little baby, whom she carried around from room to room and sang nursery rhymes to in the middle of the night. He's growing into a young man and looking more and more like Chris as each day passes. While he loves Abigail, protecting her at all costs, it was no surprise when he asked that the next baby be a boy. And when Chris and Rose announced that they would be having another baby, Joshua was so sure that it would be a boy.

"What's wrong with having another sister?" Chris asks, as Joshua huffs. "You had no problem when Abby was born."

"I was three," he states.

Rose snorts, "And what an adorable three year old you were," she coos. "Now, you look like your father after he's had too many sweets."

Chris scowls as Abigail giggles, "Bayyybeee!" she waves as Samantha gurgles. "Bayybee!"

"That's Sammy," Chris says, kissing her cheek. "Samantha Claire."

"I guess we can keep her," Joshua shrugs, as Abigail moves to lean over the new baby.

Chris gasps, "You guess?" he asks, tickling the boy, making him giggle. "Well, I guess I can keep you too, huh?"

"Dadddd!" he groans, twisting away from his fingers. "Stop!"

He scoops him up off the floor and sets him onto the bed, "Maybe the next one will be a boy," he whispers, though Rose can hear him. "You just have to wait two or three years."

"We'll see about that," Rose replies coolly, as Abigail lays out next to her. "Maybe I'll let you get that dog you've been begging me for, darling."

….

When Christine gives birth to Ethan James McCoy on December thirtieth of that year, everything is perfect. Life, for the three couples who've left the _Enterprise _behind, is almost like a fairytale. There are moments of ups and downs, as they argue with their spouses and deal with raising kids; one teen and six little ones, with the promise of more to come in the future. Jim, Leonard and Chris are determined to expand their family names, much to their wives dismay. Carol's the first to crack, giving Jim a black eye when he suggests baby number three when Riley's eight months old.

After that, Rose and Christine draw the line and it's the girls versus the boys. Christine, who was still pregnant at the time of the fight, stays out of it for the most part; until Leonard states his feelings towards having more children after their baby comes. Chris does the same, only it's six weeks after Samantha's birth and the dreaded post-natal checkup.

"If you think I'm getting pregnant now, after pushing an eight pound baby from down there, you can kiss my ass," Rose hisses, long after they've settled the kids for bed. "How about you enjoy the one I just had and then come back to me in three years with the baby discussion!"

They don't have sex that night, for many nights after that, much to Chris's annoyance. Jim finds it hilarious, until Carol gives him the cold shoulder and tells him to use his hand.

"You'll need to re-introduce yourself, love," she snaps, rolling over in their marital bed to look at the wall. "There's a bottle of lube in the drawer if you need it."

Leonard just snickers at their lack of sexual activities, as he and Christine enjoy theirs; he never fails to walk around them with a huge grin and a pep in his step. But all good things must come to an end, and Leonard Horatio McCoy's sex life did just that. For a few months anyway, since Ethan James turned out to be a _big _baby, much to Christine's horror.

In the spring, as Ethan goes from newborn to rapidly growing infant, they all get together for dinner. The older kids run about the backyard, while the youngest are nestled in their parents arms, drinking from bottles or sleeping.

"Hikaru sent me a urgent message earlier," Jim said, as he fed Riley. "I think Nyota's joining the Mommy club soon."

"WHAT!" Rose, Christine and Carol shriek, upsetting their babies.

"Spock's going into that freaky mating cycle thing," he shrugs, setting the bottle on the table. "And if he and Nyota don't fuck, he'll die."

"Language," Chris warns, as he lays Samantha against his chest. "He's going through Pon Farr, huh?"

Leonard grumbled, "I'll have to comm. Nyota later," he shakes his head. "It ain't gonna be pretty, especially since she's human."

Rose shudders, remembering all the facts she's learned about Pon Farr back in her medical classes. While Chris can be rough when they have sex, it's nothing compared to what Spock's going to do with Nyota. But they've been together almost the same amount of time as Rose and Chris, though their relationship went beyond a few kisses during year four of their first five year mission, and she knows that Nyota will be able to handle it.

"Their babies will be so adorable!" Christine exclaims, as she wipes Ethan's mouth with his bib. "Pointy ears and Nyota's skin tone! My, my, my, what a cute baby it'll be!"

Leonard rolls his eyes, "Good lord," he mutters, as Christine babbles to the boy in her arms. "Just what I need! The potential matchmakin' plotting nonsense between my kids and the hobgoblin's!"

….

After Nyota and Spock survive their first Pon Farr together, they call during their shore leave on New Vulcan. Newly "married" or bonded as Spock calls it, Nyota is simply glowing. Married life suits the young communications officer, she talks about the ceremony they had on New Vulcan and how they're going to re-model Spock's quarters.

"I wish you guys could be here to celebrate, but I know it's hard with the kids," Nyota pouts, as Spock excuses himself to take a call in the other room. "But as soon as we get back, we'll celebrate!"

Rose promises to send photos and updates on the kids and Nyota promises to send photos of the remodeled "home" that she and Spock will live in for the remainder of the mission. When she ends the call, it's back to "mommy-duty" as Samantha wakes up from her nap. Chris and Joshua come in from the yard as she's feeding the infant, sweaty and dirty from cleaning the yard.

"Looks like you two did some serious work," she snorts, as Joshua grabs a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. "Go on up and take showers, that way I can put Abby down for her nap."

Joshua whines, until a stern glare from Rose sends him running for the stairs. Meanwhile, Chris leans over her and kisses her on the forehead, before caressing Samantha's head.

"God, you stink," Rose shakes her head.

"Thank you," he snorts, as she sets the empty bottle on the table next to the recliner. "I'm gonna hop in the shower and lay down for a bit."

Rose looks up at him quickly, "Are you alright?" she asks, alarmed.

He's not getting any younger and she never fails to remind him, driving him up the wall. He'll be sixty in July and Rose wants him to slow down a bit, that way she can keep him around for another sixty years.

"Rose," he gives her a tired chuckle. "It's eighty-five degrees outside and I just did yard work. I'm not and exhausted."

She scowls, "Don't give me back talk, Christopher," she warns, as Samantha burps into the towel on her shoulder. "Give me ten minutes and I'll come up with some water."

Too tired and uncomfortable in his sweaty clothes to argue, Chris just nods and kisses her again, before moving up the stairs to their bedroom. Once she's sure that he's in their room, Rose looks at her youngest and shakes her head.

"Your father drives me mad," she huffs, moving to stand up from the seat. "One day, Mummy is going to lock him up."

Once the kids all go down for naps, Samantha proving to be difficult, Rose gets a cold glass of water from the kitchen and brings it upstairs to the bedroom. Chris is already dressed in his usual lounge wear, running a towel through his nearly-white hair, when she steps into the room.

"The kids are asleep?" he asks, tossing the towel back into the bathroom.

"Yup," she nods, handing him the water. "How are you feeling?"

Chris takes a decent sized gulp from the glass, before setting it down on the nightstand. "Rose, I'm fine," he insists, as he climbs onto the bed. "I know the signs of a heart attack since you've drilled them into my head for the last ten years."

"I'm glad you find my worrying hilarious," she snaps, pulling the blankets down on her side of the bed. "It's okay for you to have no worries on what a pregnancy does to a body, but when I worry about your health it's a joke!"

He grabs her by the arm and gently tugs her onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her as he pulls her down. "I don't find it hilarious," he says, serious now unlike before. "I know you worry about me, but you need to trust me when I say that I'm fine."

Rose scowls, "Right now, I'm tired. I think Josh and I went a little too crazy with the weeding and I'll be paying for that the next few days," he says, as they settle down for a nap. "So tell me, _Doctor _Pike…. What treatment plan should I follow?"

She snorts, "First of all, I'm not a doctor," she corrects him. "I'm a _Physicians Assistant," _

"A very sexy one at that," he growls against her ear, before nipping at her jaw.

"As for treatment," she groans, trying to pull away. "Bed rest and an anti-inflammatory for the possible back pain."

Chris grunts, "Does…sexual activities fall under the bed rest category?" he asks, making her squeal as he tickles her side lightly.

She shakes her head, "Not when you're ten seconds away from passing out," she retorts, watching as he fights a yawn. "Maybe later, darling. But for now, lets take a nap before the kids wake up. I need you refreshed and recharged for later."

He simply nods and lays back against his pillows, stretching out under the blankets; the cracking of his joints make her flinch, since they're so loud; one of the many signs that he's getting old. Curling up against his side, Rose settles down for the afternoon, enjoying the so very few moments of silence with her husband.


End file.
